This line in the report I read about it this morning was particularly upsetting: "Conversations thought to have been recorded included sensitive health issues raised with Dickson by women constituents."

That's unequivocal. How on earth he can expect anyone to believe that he would not remember such a conversation now is beyond me. A face to face conversation in which someone explained to you that they had broken the law and illegally taped a trusted employee whom you had known for a very long time. A conversation which English recounted in this statement to the police.

Yeah right, that's something one forgets easily. "Can't remember how I found out, yer Honor. Oh, that's right, just like I said to the police, he told me directly to my face about this egregious act. But I forgot that happened".

If you are counting up the indictments on the arrogance in Government charge sheet, don't forget that Alfred Ngaro was caught accidentally saying what he really thinks about NGOs who dare to criticise the Government.

The point is not that all of these things happened. Rather, it is that the Government is not sufficiently bothered to do anything much about of any of them. And that is the real evidence of a Government that has been in office too long, I reckon.

On March 1, 2016 – after his February text conversation about the issues with Stuart Davie – English told NZ, as per this Radio NZ story that “he was not aware of any specific problems between Mr Barclay and his former staff”. A flat out lie.

Would be interesting to go back through all his recordings looking for that. I can hear what you mean. I think it's a deliberately affected bored tone, like what Mike Hosking does basically all the time (probably a homage).

What we now also know about the OIA papers released by the police was that they were missing two vital pieces of information: a statement made to them by Bill English about the recording and the text messages between English and Davie.

Quite why those pieces of information were missing is yet to be explained by the police.

If the police want to avoid assumptions that they have withheld information that would be damaging to their political masters, they should release English's statement forthwith.

That's not enough. Let's hear which Police official decided to withold that material and on what basis. And who from the National Party they talked to in the process.

Also, how about opposition parties promise to establish an independent prosecution service that will act on complaints of political crimes rather than lick the boots of the establishment.

Partly my own fault, of course, but when I heard the story today I thought: "Newsroom? What's that?".

Much more importantly, I suspect National's inner circle think much the same. Yes, it's a relief to know there are still journalists out there who chase up these stories, but in a media environment of The Project and multiple Hosking shows, you can see why Bill, Todd et al might think "Relax, it's just one quick news cycle, the rugby and boats will save us by the weekend." I really hope that's not the case, but it feels like a very long time since Sean Plunkett grilled Benson-Pope into retirement. Obfuscating and hiding works well enough to cling on these days.

Todd's on his tod now I reckon! - Barclay has tried to be too clever by half!...how dare someone with experience criticise him!He was mentored well in Big Baccy and Bellamy's, Then he lawyered up early (or at least threatened too)....and his careful Trumpian 'truthy' answers along the lines of 'I did not tap that phone'- and as no one asked if there'd been a dictaphone left on, he gets away with it... for a while...

But anyway ... the story now seems less that English and Barclay lied after the story broke today, but that they've all been lying about this for more than a year.

And from the Newsroom interview with Dickson - there is specific mention of a threat made in relation to a female member of her family and Davie too mentions threats more generally. I wonder whether these threats were also reported to the Police?

Winston Peters recently said in a speech:

All these Mafia like, standover tactics belong to another world, or a movie script, not New Zealand.

The National Party is reviewing the selection of Todd Barclay as its Clutha-Southland candidate following allegations of a rushed process, improper votes and “delegate stacking” with his family members and supporters.

National’s rules committee, tasked with providing legal advice and support to the party board, is understood to be investigating nearly half of the 18 electorate branches in the Southland seat and could yet call for Barclay’s selection to be revoked.

The sitting MP was re-selected as the party’s candidate for the 2017 election last December, despite a challenge from former Merrill Lynch banker Simon Flood amid discontent from some sections of the electorate.

Since then a small group within the local party have been campaigning against Todd. They tried to get elected to the electorate committee and challenge him for the nomination. They failed massively, with Todd receiving the overwhelming support of the members.

The reason the members are supporting Todd isn’t because they approve of everything he has done. They do not, and many members will freely give advice as to how he could do better in certain areas. But they are supporting Todd because they are disgusted with the behaviour of those trying to bring him down, regardless of the damage it does to the party.